


Takes the Cake

by ArcticLucie



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Love, M/M, Post ME3, Romance, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 10:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9719813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcticLucie/pseuds/ArcticLucie
Summary: Kaidan comes home to find their kitchen has been turned into a war zone.





	

Kaidan reached the third floor landing before he had to stop and rest his knee. He considered that progress, but with two more flights to go before he made it home, he cursed the damn Super for taking his time with the elevator repairs. 

He’d had a pretty long day up to that point. His students ran drills with Jack’s that morning, which meant a lot of paperwork for the two of them come afternoon. They also had a meeting with the Brass to go over their training program, and he’d had to duck out early on lunch with Shepard thanks to a run-in with a Volus high on Red Sand. Shepard had laughed so hard at that and assured Kaidan he’d tell him the story later.

But for now, all he wanted to do was make it up the staircase from hell.

When he’d reached their floor, he scrunched his nose up at the smell of burning. Mrs. Grommet from 5C probably burned her biscuits again. He didn’t hear her fire alarm blaring, so he figured things were under control, but he’d send John around later to check. 

That would have to wait though, because he had every intention of lavishing his fiancé with a memorable evening of sex in lieu of an apology for having to cut things short earlier that day.

The smell of garlic almost overpowered burnt when the door to their apartment slid open. John had taken to spoiling him with dinner most nights, his chef skills far surpassed Kaidan’s, but when he got to the kitchen, it looked like a horrific crime scene. Kaidan’s heart stopped as his gaze swept over the rickety table smashed to pieces, the bright red, possibly blood, smear covering half the far wall, and a blackened pan of something resembling dessert on its side in the center of the chaos.

“Shepard?” he hollered, close to panic. Ten terrible scenarios hit him at once, each one more horrendous than the last. Kidnapped, murdered, tortured? Some Batarian or Cerberus minion enacting revenge? Spirits, he had to find John.

Just as he pulled up his omni-tool to contact the authorities, he noticed the balcony door sitting ajar, a sliver of orange, brighter than the rest, bleeding in from the sunset. “John?” he called, pulling back the curtains to find Shepard huddled in a nest of blankets. “Babe, are you okay?” he asked as he tiptoed onto the balcony.

They both had more good days than bad, but PTSD didn’t care.

Kaidan sat down on the empty deck chair, and studied Shepard’s face. He looked angry, like he was preparing to waltz into hell and pick a fight with the Devil himself. Kaidan made sure he moved slowly as he leaned over to touch Shepard’s forearm. “Did something trigger you?”

John looked over, almost surprised to see him. “What? No! I burned the damn cheesecake, and it pissed me off. I spent two hours on that piece of shit for nothing,” he snapped. “And then the chicken was dry, and the top popped off the garlic and went _everywhere._ I still think I have some in my hair. And on top of that, the flower shop was out of roses. How the hell does a flower shop run out of flowers? How, Kaidan? That’s like _impossible_.”

Kaidan didn’t mean to laugh, but it was part relief, part _I love you, you big idiot._ “Sorry, but why were you making cheesecake?” He had another brief panic at the thought he’d forgotten an anniversary or a birthday or something.

“Because it’s our first proper Valentine’s Day.”

“Valentine’s Day? That old Earth holiday?” Kaidan hadn’t celebrated it since his teacher forced him to give a valentine to Randy West, his bully, in first grade. That prick didn’t deserve his candy hearts.

Shepard’s pout set his heart aflutter. “You love cheesecake, and I wanted it to be perfect.”

“Wow, I mean I knew I was marrying a romantic, but John, destroying the kitchen because of an evil dessert? Well, I think that takes the cake,” he said, amused at his pun.

John glared at him but opened up his blanket cocoon to allow Kaidan entry. They snuggled on the deck chair and watched the sun continue its descent for a few blissful moments, both content despite the cold nipping at their noses.

“I used half our food vouchers for the week on that damn cake,” Shepard lamented.

Kaidan sighed, running his hand through the hair falling down on Shepard’s forehead. “Good thing we know how to eat lean.” He stretched so he could press a gentle kiss to Shepard’s lips, and hummed in happiness when they both pulled back with a lovesick smile. He had the best fiancé in the world. “How about we make some hot cocoa and warm up by the fire?”

John’s pout returned. “Not exactly a traditional Valentine’s, but I guess it’ll have to do.”

After _warming up_ by the fire, Kaidan ordered them Thai food with some money he’d stashed away for a rainy day, and they had a few beers and a late dinner on the living room floor with various holos in place of candles. It was far from traditional, but he’d learned long ago that life with John Shepard was anything but.


End file.
